KANSAI

“Miyanaga Aiko: Nakasora : The Reason for Eternity”

THE NATIONAL MUSEUM OF ART, OSAKA

Aiko Miyanaga’s work is characterized by its impermanence. In 2003, she created shoe-shaped sculptures using naphthalene, an organic compound that sublimes from a solid to gas at room temperature. “Cinderella,” for example, was a model of the fairy-tale heroine’s glass slipper, which deteriorated over time, symbolizing the evanescence of the story’s spell.

Enchanted by ephemerality, Miyanaga describes her work as nakasora — a take on the archaic word “nakazora,” which refers to a restless state of mind; Oct. 13-Dec. 24.